Friday, May 22, 2015

I've been thinking about you a great deal since the last time I blogged but it's taken me until now to come back and actually make contact again.

Since being at home, taking steps to set up my business, time seems to have grown wings and although I'm constantly on Instagram, regularly on Facebook and even occasionally on Twitter, there never seems to be quite the right moment to sit down and write a blog post.

Somehow it feels like it needs to be more involved, more time consuming and to have more structure and quite frankly, it even feels a bit indulgent. So, whilst thinking about this I realised it doesn't necessarily have to be all those things.

It can be just like Instagram (which I LOVE) but just a bit more and I don't need to plan a great big essay with lots of meaningful content. It's my little record of life and my creative process.

I'm going to start with just a few photos of preparations for my first proper craft fair, which I did this past weekend.

A recent holiday in beautiful Pembrokeshire inspired some little applique and free-machine embroidery pictures of those beautiful Welsh cottages, two of which sold at the fair. I have lots more of these in my head needing to get out and several more awaiting frames.

I can't stop making little fabric brooches - they seem to have become a bit of a thing for me and I love making them. I have dozens of them! Now I just need to sell them.

Taking Janet Clare's advice I decided I needed one of her Artisan Aprons to wear to the craft fair and had great fun making it and then adding some embellishments to make it mine. It was much admired by visitors and other stall holders and it did feel right to be wearing a 'uniform' of sorts.

A trial run at home was an incredibly useful exercise as it took away a lot of stress on the day, even though the table at the fair turned out to be smaller than expected. All in all it was a successful first fair, with lovely people and I sold enough to cover my costs and give the children their overdue pocket money!

My head and all six of my notebooks are full of ideas for things I want to make. The making is fun and it's the easy bit. It's the getting out there and selling that seems to be the hardest part but then I think that's true for anyone trying to start a creative business.

I've never been a natural salesperson (which proved interesting in a former job as a sales rep!) but it's a skill I now need to develop, alongside becoming organised with paperwork....*cough*.

Hi, I'm Lesley aka Moogsmum. After years of dreaming about it I've finally set up my own business making and selling my handmade bags, brooches, pictures and accessories. I love to sew, knit, crochet, spin and weave. Married to Mr Moog with two lovely teenagers and two wonderful dogs - Merlin Moog, the world's cuddliest border collie, and naughty collie x spaniel Willow Wobbler.
You can often find me on Instagram where I'm @mrs_moog and I blog here about my crafty doings and life stuff.